Woman Dies in House Fire in Sherman Oaks

A woman died early Tuesday morning after flames broke out in her Sherman Oaks home, a Los Angeles city Fire Department spokesman said.

Firefighters found Helen Rendell in a bedroom about 2:33 a.m., said Phil Weireter, a city fire spokesman. Paramedics tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead outside her home in the 15000 block of La Maida Street.

The blaze, which apparently started in the living room, caused an estimated $95,000 damage to the home and contents. The cause of the fire is under investigation.